Baby-cart.



B. L. GATES.

BABY CART.

. APPLICATION HLED SEPT-2i, I912. RENEWED JUNE 28,1915- www. Patented11,1916.

2 SHE HEET l.

g y W M B. L. GATES.

BABY CART.

A'PPLICATION FILED SEPT-21, l9l2- RENEWED JUNE 28,19l5- 1 1 90,39&Patented July 11, 1916. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

e t s s g 5 w WIT TE Flt).

BENJIMAN LOWELL GATES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO RI'IINEHARD'IH. BROWN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BABY-CART.

Application filed September 21, 1912, Serial No. 721,552. Renewed June28, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJIMAN L. GATES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Baby-Cart, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention is concerned with improvements in childrens collapsiblevehicles. and more especially with two-wheeled vehicles, and is designedprimarily to produce such a vehicle that, after being unlocked, thewheel frames may be erected simply by resting it on the ground andpressing downward on the tongue, which, in this position, will besubstantially vertical.

It is further concerned with such a vehicle in which, to facilitatecollapsing it, springs are interposed between the main frame and thewheel frames, so that when the erecting frame is moved out of engagementwith the wheel frames, the springs will operate to collapse said wheelframes automatically.

It is further concerned with certain novel combinations andconstructions of elements in such a vehicle, as will be fully describedhereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

To illustrate my invention, I annex hereto two sheets of drawings, inwhich the same reference characters are used to designate identicalparts in all the figures, of which,

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a baby-cart made to embody myinvention, the parts being extended as in position for use; Fig. 2 is avertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan viewof the cart as seen when inverted and looked down upon, the wheels beingunfolded. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the cart as seen when folded.

Similar signs refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The numeral 5 designates the seat or main frame, 6 the handle or pole, 7hinged brackets or wheel frames, and 8 a cam yoke or erecting framepivoted to the under side of the seat and having swivel connection 8with the pole. The brackets 7 are provided Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented July Ill, 1916.

Serial No. 36,905.

with rojecting parts having inclined surfaces upon which the yoke hasbearing for unfolding said brackets.

The means for connection of the pole to the seat is best shown in Figs.3 and 4 and consists preferably of a clip 6 bolted to the seat andadapted to hold the pole against the seat at the front edge of the seatwhile farther back it permits the pole to take an oblique position asseen in Fig. 2. The clip is provided with a slot or notch 6 into which aprojecting screw 6 on the pole falls when the pole is turned a quarteraroimd. from its position in Fig. 4 and shoved along in the clip. Alatch 6 is pivoted to the clip and provided with an open ended slot 6which may be turned into engagement with the screw 6 for holding thepole locked from further sliding in the clip. The latch also has a slot6 adapted to work in connection with a stop-pin for limiting the motionof the latch.

The cart wheels 9 are mounted on spindles 7" of the brackets. The modeof hinging the brackets is by short sections of chan nel iron 7 boltedto the seat, the base of the bracket fitting in the channel and beingsecured by a rod or bolt 7 passed through holes near the inner part ofthe channel and brackets so as to leave the bracket free to be turned upfrom the seat to a perpendicu lar therewith and be stopped from goingany farther, with the spindle projecting outwardly in position toreceive the wheel.

The hinge bolt is preferably provided with a coil spring 7 (Fig. 2)tending to turn the brackets inwardly toward the underside of the seatso that when the latch 6 as seen in Fig. 3, is thrown back, as seen inFig. 4, the wheels will fold 'to the position shown in Fig. 4,automatically. To do this one of the wheels must move ahead of theother. To get a quicker movement of the wheel at the right hand side, asviewed in Fig. 3, the inclining of the surface 7 from a right angle isincreased on that side.

To unfold the wheels the pole is first rotated a quarter to bring thescrew 63 in line with the notch 6 then it is shoved along in the clip atthe same time obliquing it as in .Fig. 3. The action of the latch 6locking the'pole in place serves also to lock the wheel frames 7 intheir erected position.

A brace 10 is mounted on the under side of the pole and carries afolding foot'rest 10 which is provided with keepers and attached by aspring bolt adapted to keep it inworking position and permit .of itsvbeing folded This brace strikes the ground in front or at the rear when{the cart is at rest I andprv-ents its tipping either forward or ibackward too far.

WVhenthe brace is folded into parallel relation with the seat it mayserveas a bailto carry the cart by.

The pole .may bemade to fold by means of a :hinge connecting separateparts and covered by a sliding sleeve 11. The part of the pole '6 belowthe hinge constitutes a member sliding on the main frame to erect thewheel frames, while the part above the hinge constitutes the handle ortongue of the :sulky.

The ,seat is provided with a folding railing or back rest orback-supporting frame 12-which is pivoted ,to the top of a U-shaped' rod13 pivoted at the bottom of the U to the seat at the base and providedwith a spring 13* normally tending to foldthe rod and railing down uponthe seat. At the front said railing isconnected with two rods 14 whichpass down at the edges of the seat and turn under the same and run 40through eye-pieces 14 which are bolted to the bottom of the seat, a part14; projecting through theeye, being adapted to stand out from the underside of the seat when-the railing is folded down upon the seat and to.turn up against the under side of the seat to operate as a stop to theturning of the rods 1% beyond the perpendicular with the seat; whenunfolding the railing. A

i spring-pressed catch or locking mechanism 14 is adapted to engage oneof the rods 14 forholding the railing extended as seen in Figs; land 2.When the catch is sprung out of engagement the counter spring 18 woperates to fold the railing down upon the seat with a' part and therods 14 projecting to the front of the seat as seen in Fig. 4. The seatand pole are preferably made of Wood, the wheels are articlesofcommerce, all the other parts are of sheet metal or small metal rods andmay be stamped and bentinto the required form or shape to cheapen themanufacture of thecart.

While Ihave *SllOWIl anddeseribed myiinvention as embodied in the formwhich let present consider best adapted to carry out its purposes, itwill be understood that it is capable of modifications, and that I donot desire to be limited in the interpretation of the following claimsexcept as may be necessitated by the state of the prior art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is:

1. In a two-wheeledbaby-cart, the combination with a seat, of a pair ofwheel brackets pivoted to the under side of the seat at opposite pointsand provided with cam surfaces inclined to their axes of rotation, acam-yoke pivoted to the seat between the brackets and adapted to turn upagainst the .seat and down between the brackets, and a pole havingsliding and tilting connection with the seat and swiveling connectionwith .the cam-yoke for unfolding the brackets.

2. In a two-wheeled baby-cart, the combination with a seat, of a pair ofspringpressed wheel brackets pivoted to the seat and provided withoppositely inclined cam surfaces, a cam-yoke pivoted to the seat betweenthe brackets and adapted to turn up against the seat and down betweenthe brackets, and a pole having sliding and tilting connection with theseat and swiveling connection with the cam-yoke.

3. In a two-wheeled baby-cart, the combination with a seat, of a pair ofwheel brackets pivoted to the seat to fold toward one another .andprovided with oppositely inclined cam surfaces, a cam-yoke pivoted tothe seat between the brackets, a pole having sliding and tiltingconnection with the seat and swiveling connection with the cam-yoke forunfolding the brackets, and means for .locking the parts in theirunfolded condition.

4. In a two-wheeledbaby-cart, the combination with a seat, of a pair ofwheel brackets pivoted to the seat to fold toward one another andprovided with oppositely inclined cam-surfaces, the degree ofinclination varying in one of said surfaces from that of the other toeffect a more rapid folding of one of said brackets over the other, acam-yoke pivoted to the seat between said brackets and a pole havingsliding and tilting connection with the seat and connection with thecam-yoke for folding and unfolding said brackets the one more rapidlythan the other.

- 5. In a two-wheeled baby-cart, the combination with a seat, of a clip(3 constructed with oblique flanges for bolting to the seat and providedwith a recess 6" at one end, a pole adapted to slide, tilt and rotate insaid clip, a projection 6 on said pole, and a pivoted latch providedwith a recess 6 adapted-to engage projection 6 in recess 6".

.6. In a two-wheeled baby-cart, the combination with a seat; of a pairof wheel brackets provided with spindles 7" 7 and pivoted to the seat tofold inwardly but not outwardly beyond a position perpendicular to theseat, means for folding said brackets inwardly, a pole having slidingand tilting connection with the seat, and means in connection with thepole for unfolding said brackets and locking them in unfolded condition.

7. In a two-wheeled baby-cart, the combination with a seat, of a polehaving sliding and rotating connection with the seat, a brace mounted onthe pole to limit the tilting of the seat too far backward or forward,and a folding foot-rest mounted on said brace.

8. In a two-wheeled baby-cart, the combination with a seat, of a polehaving sliding connection with the seat and made in two sections ofsubstantially equal length, a hinge for connecting the sections so as topermit the outer of said sections to fold toward the seat and a sleeveadapted to slide over the hinge for holding the folding sec tion of saidpole extended for use.

9. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a main frame, of wheel frames secured thereto, a tongueconnected with the main frame, a brace mounted on the tongue to limitthe tilting of the seat, and a folding foot-rest mounted on said brace.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination with a mainframe, of wheel frames pivoted thereto, an erecting frame cooperatingwith the wheel frames, a tongue, and connections between the tongue anderecting frame so that a longitudinal thrust on the tongue will erectthe wheel. frames.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination with a mainframe, of wheel frames pivoted thereto, an erecting frame cooperatingwith the wheel frames, a member slid ingly mounted on the main frame andassociated with the tongue, and connections between the sliding memberand erecting frame so that a longitudinal thrust on the tongue willerect the wheel frames.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination with a mainframe, of wheel frames pivoted thereto, an erecting frame cooperatingwith the wheel frames, a tongue, connections between the tongue anderecting frame so that a longitudinal thrust on the tongue will erectthe wheel frames, and springs interposed between the main frame and thewheel frames to collapse the latter when the tongue is moved back to itscollapsed position.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination with a mainframe, of a pair of wheel frames pivoted thereto and adapted to be movedfrom collapsed to erected position and vice versa, an erecting framemovable on the main frame to move the wheel frames to erected position,and springs for throwing the wheel frames from their erected position totheir collapsed position when the erecting frame is moved back.

14. In a collapsible vehicle, the combination with a main frame, of apair of Wheel frames pivoted thereto and adapted to be moved fromcollapsed to erected position, and vice versa, locking means for holdingthe wheel frames locked in their erected position, and springs forthrowing the wheel frames from their erected position to their collapsedposition when said wheel frames are unlocked.

15. In a collapsible vehicle, the combination with a main frame, of apair of wheel frames pivoted thereto, cams secured to the wheel frames,an erecting frame pivoted to the main frame and adapted to cooperatewith the cams to move the wheel frames to their erected position or tobe moved out of engagement therewith, and springs interposed between themain frame and the wheel frames, and serving to throw the latter totheir collapsed'position when the erecting frame is moved out ofengagement with the cams.

16. In a collapsible sulky, the combination with a mainframe, of a pairof wheel frames pivoted thereto, cams secured to the wheel frames, anerecting frame pivoted to the main frame and adapted to cooperate withthe cams to move the wheel frames to their erected position or to bemoved out of engagement therewith, a member sliding on the main frameand connected to the erecting frame to move the latter, and a handleconnected to said member so that by pressing on the handle the wheelframes may be erected.

17. In a collapsible vehicle, the combination with a main frame, of apair of wheel frames pivoted thereto, cams secured to the wheel frames,an erecting frame pivoted to the main frame and adapted to cooperatewith the cams to move the wheel frames to their erected position or tobe moved out of engagement therewith, and springs interposed between themain frame and the wheel frames, and, serving to throw the latter totheir collapsed position when the erecting frame is moved out ofengagement with the cams.

18. In a collapsible sulky, the combination with a main frame, of apairof wheel frames pivoted thereto, cams secured to the wheel frames, anerecting frame pivoted to the main frame and adapted to cooperate withthe cams to move the wheel frames to their erected position or to bemoved out of engagement therewith, a member sliding on the main frameand connected to the erecting frame to move the latter, and a handleconnected to said member so that by frames in their erected position,and springs pressing on the handle the wheel frames for throwing theside frames to their col- 10 may be erected. I 1 lapsed position whenthey are unlocked. 19. n a collapsi ale sul (y, the com ination a 5 witha mainframe, of a pair of side frames BENJ' LOWELL GArlLb' pivotedthereto and adapted to be moved Witnesses:

from erected to collapsed position, and vice A. L. BAKER, versa, lockingmeans for holding said side H. H. 'RINGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, 1L0.

